Sports, especially those in the great outdoors, are the Australians' cup of tea. In the next 72 pages SI serves up features on the local America's Cup fever, on some scenic locales and swimwear, and on dashing surf lifesavers

The island continent is endowed not only with splendid beaches but also with an intriguing interior, providing a rich and varied backdrop for our annual swimsuit spectacular. Here at Shark Bay on the west coast, Paulina Porizkova stretches out on a cushion of cockleshells in a bikini from Connie Banko ($38). Paulina leaves her imprint on the cover as well, in a lace-and-Lycra suit made in Israel by Gottex ($50).

A roundup of the week Jan. 28-Feb. 3

PRO BASKETBALL—It took double overtime to do it, but second-place Houston ended Central Division leader Denver's eight-game winning streak with a 131-128 win behind Ralph Sampson's 37 points and Akeem Olajuwon's 26. The Rockets, who also beat New Jersey 97-93 and the Pacific Division-leading Lakers 116-113, moved to within two games of the Nuggets. For third-place Dallas, Mark Aguirre scored a career-high 49 points in a 111-109 win over Philadelphia just hours after learning he hadn't made the NBA All-Star squad. "He wanted to show he belonged." said Sixer Julius Erving. After watching Aguirre get eight points in the final three minutes, Maverick coach Dick Motta said, "If missing out on the All-Star game is the reason why he played the way he did tonight, I hope he never makes it." Aside from their loss to Houston, the Lakers were unbeatable; they defeated Portland 122-106 and New York 105-104 and handed the Clippers their seventh straight loss. 105-96. Central Division leader Milwaukee went 3-0 for the week and ran its winning streak to 11 games. In one victory, the Bucks came back from a 75-68 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Trail Blazers 105-95. Dominique Wilkins averaged 37 points a game in a 2-1 week for Atlanta, scoring 40 in a 115-106 defeat of Indiana and 37 more in a 110-102 overtime loss at Detroit. Atlantic Division leader Boston increased its lead over second-place Philadelphia to 1½ games, despite being trounced by the Sixers 122-104. Moses Malone had 38 points and 24 rebounds in that game for the 76ers. The Celtics stopped Detroit's eight-game winning streak 131-130 when Larry Bird made the winning shot, a running jumper from the left side, at the buzzer. Bird also scored 38 points in a 142-123 thrashing of Kansas City, which was Boston coach K.C. Jones's 100th Celtic victory.

BOXING—VICTOR CALLEJAS retained his WBA junior featherweight championship with a 15-round unanimous decision over Seung-Hoon Lee in San Juan, P.R.

Eusebio Pedroza successfully defended his WBA featherweight title for the 19th time with a unanimous 15-round decision over Jorge Lujan in Panama City, Panama.

FIGURE SKATING—At the U.S. championships in Kansas City, Mo., BRIAN BOITANO won the men's title, and TIFFANY CHIN skated to the women's crown. JILL WATSON and PETER OP-PEGARD were the pairs champions, and JUDY BLUMBERG and MICHAEL SEIBERT won the dance for the fifth straight time (page 74).

GOLF—MARK O'MEARA shot a final-round 73 to finish with a five-under-par 283 and win the $500,000 Bing Crosby Pro-Am by one stroke over Larry Rinker, Curtis Strange and Kikuo Arai, in Pebble Beach, Calif. (page 68).

With a closing-round 70, JoANNE CARNER won a $200,000 LPGA event in Miami by six strokes over Patty Sheehan and Jane Blalock. Carner had an 8-under-par total of 280.

COLLEGE HOCKEY—ECAC leader RPI ran its winning streak to 18 straight with 7-4 victories over Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Michigan State, CCHA winner and No. 1-ranked nationally, whipped non-conference opponent Northern Arizona 5-2 and 10-2, and Minnesota-Duluth increased its WCHA lead over Minnesota to three points by sweeping Denver 7-2 and 5-0.

PRO HOCKEY—Forty-five points separate the first-and last-place teams in the Smythe Division, but for this week at least, basement-dwelling Vancouver was the equal of No. 1 Edmonton. Both went untied and undefeated. They and Buffalo, Adams Division co-leader, were the only NHL teams to do so. The Oilers beat Calgary 4-3 in Edmonton on Mike Krushelnyski's goal with two seconds left and then put the Flames out 4-2 on their own ice. The Oilers also beat the Rangers 5-1 and Hartford 6-3. The Canucks defeated other Adams co-leader Montreal 5-4 in overtime on Tony Tanti's third goal of the game with only 17 seconds left and knocked off Hartford 4-3, also in OT. Last-place Toronto of the Norris Division pulled off a first-class "upset," too. The Maple Leafs tied Patrick Division leader Washington 3-3 at the Capital Centre. "They're not as lowly as we heard," said the Caps' Mike Gartner. First-place St. Louis increased its Norris Division lead over Chicago to eight points by beating the Black Hawks 5-1 and 6-4. Earlier in the week the Blues had tied Winnipeg 6-6 and defeated Detroit 3-2. The Red Wings also lost 6-3 to Quebec in a bruising game that featured a bench-clearing brawl and more penalty minutes (171) than game time. The Nordiques salvaged second place in the Adams despite losing to the Bruins 6-5 and Detroit 6-3. Finally, Quebec beat Minnesota 5-1. After a 3-2 loss to New Jersey, which is last in the Patrick Division, Islander coach Al Arbour said, "We've got no team effort and no teamwork." Then, next time out, the Isles shut out Pittsburgh 4-0 as goalie Kelly Hrudey got his second shutout of the season.

HORSE RACING—PRECISIONIST ($4.20), Chris McCarron up, beat Greinton by a nose to win the third race of the Strub Series, the $300,000-added Charles H. Strub Stakes, to become the fourth horse to sweep the series, at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old horse covered the 1-mile race in 2:00[1/5].

INDOOR SOCCER—Baltimore had a two-game Eastern Division lead after defeating Los Angeles 7-2 behind two goals each from Dave MacWilliams and Richard Chinapoo. The Blast then knocked off Western Division-leading San Diego 5-4 and beat Wichita 8-1. Second-place Chicago lost 4-3 to St. Louis and beat Los Angeles by the same score. The Sockers' Jean Willrich scored four goals in a 6-1 defeat of the Cosmos. San Diego also beat Pittsburgh 7-3 to establish a 4½-game divisional lead.

MOTOR SPORTS—The team of THIERRY BOUTSEN, A.J. FOYT, AL UNSER and BOBBY WOLLECK, driving a Porsche 962, won the 24-hour Daytona endurance race, completing 703 laps around the 3.56-mile Daytona Motor Speedway road circuit at an average of 104.162 mph. The team of Al Unser Jr., Al Holbert and Derek Bell, also in a Porsche 962, finished second, 17 laps behind.

SKIING—PIRMIN ZURBRIGGEN of Switzerland won the men's downhill at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Bormio, Italy. MICHELA FIGINI, also of Switzerland, was the women's downhill champion in Santa Caterina, Italy.

TRACK & FIELD—VALERIE BRISCO-HOOKS set a world indoor record of 52.99 seconds in the 440-yard run in Dallas, surpassing the old mark of 53.29 established by Lori McCauley in 1983.

MILEPOSTS—DENIED: By the Baseball Hall of Fame's board of directors, a bid to admit the late NELLIE FOX, second baseman for the Chicago White Sox from 1950 to '63, to the Hall, despite the fact that he had finished .3 of a percentage point—or two votes—shy of the total needed for election in the 1984 balloting for the Hall. Eighty-four was Fox's 15th and final year of eligibility For election by the panel of baseball writers. In three years he will be eligible for selection by the veterans' committee.

NAMED: As coach of the Indianapolis Colts, ROD DOWHOWER, 41, who had been the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals.

SIGNED: By the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL, 1983 Heisman Trophy winner running back MIKE ROZIER, 23, to a multiyear contract for an undisclosed amount. Rozier played for the now defunct Pittsburgh Maulers last season.

SUSPENDED: For six games by the NHL, New York Islander goalie BILLY SMITH, 34, for fracturing the cheekbone and causing damage to the right eye socket of Chicago Black Hawk Curt Fraser during a high-sticking episode in a Jan. 13 game.

TRADED: By the San Francisco Giants, rightfielder JACK CLARK, 29, to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher DAVE LaPOINT, 25, shortshop JOSE GONZALES, 26, and first basemen-outfielders DAVID GREEN, 24, and GARY RAJSICH, 30.

By the Winnipeg Jets, MORRIS LUKOWICH, 28, a left wing, to the Boston Bruins for right wing JIM NILL, 26.